Saturday, 24 November 2007

Take Me As I Am 'cause I Can't Stay Long

Saturday. I need to go into work, I've left some things I wanted to finish at home prior to a few days off next week. I've also left my pass in my desk draw, so getting past security could be tricky. M'zelle has gone shopping for an outfit for the Sunday Christening of niece E. I'm Godfather. I ask her to pick up a horses head for me to leave in E's bed, and get on my way.

After I've been into work, the plan is to stop at Waitrose in Newport and grab some essentials to get us through the weekend. I arrive at work and the security man is watching rugby and I barely register. I leave around four and head down the A442. I have my iPod on 'shuffle all', and it's in a good mood. Soon I'm singing along with Tom to Last Dance With Mary-Jane and my chores are forgotten. I drive straight through Newport and Keep movin'. Keep Movin' on.I catch sight of some Christmas lights and decorations, and start to feel the breath of the spectre of "Christmas' yet to come" on my neck. How can it be nearly December already?! The iPod mood starts to darken through Antony And The Johnsons. Chilitetime and Tiny Tears by Tindersticks appear in quick succession.

I recall around Boxing Day last year saying that Christmas would be here again in no time. That conversationValentine is donefeels like it took place Here but now they're goneabout two months ago. Romeo and JulietI don't know about you, but for meAre together in eternity...(Romeo and Juliet)time has really started to fly. Years40,000 men and women everyday...(Like Romeo and Juliet)fly past in weeks. Surely I was twenty five about two years40,000 men and women everyday...(Redefine happiness)ago. I'm already middle-aged! At this rate, in what'll onlyAnother 40,000 coming everyday...(We can be like they are)feel like a couple of years I'll be seventy if ICome on baby.. Baby take my hand...We'll be able to fly...last that long.Baby I'm your man...I suddenly come back to myself and see a sign that reads 'Chester 25' and realise I've been in driving for ages in a daze. I 'm now feeling quite melancholic, so I twirl the iPod wheel back to Tom Petty, turn the car around and drive home.

3 comments:

Oh, UNCANNY! I was in the gym earlier today with my iPod on 'shuffle', when that very tune came on, and it didn't half put me off my leg-presses. I used to scorn it and snigger at it, but now it seems a mocking anthem to my own burgeoning decrepitude.

'Driving In My Car' by Madness came on immediately afterwards, though, and did lift my spirits a little bit, but the damage was done and the existential angst was upon me.